Employment in Denver

Named fourth on Forbes Magazine’s ‘Best Places for Business and Careers’ list in 2014, Denver has low unemployment rates and a median household income that is almost 20% higher than the national average.

Local Economy

The city was founded on its gold trade, and the precious commodity still plays a key role in the local economy almost two centuries on, with the Newmont Mining Corporation being North American’s second largest gold producer.

Just north of the city lies the Denver Basin, an area of Paleozoic and Cenozoic rock layers that is abundant in natural resources including oil, natural gas, and coal. It is the region that gave the fictional Carrington family their wealth in the popular 1980s soap opera Dynasty.

Work in Denver can possibly also be found at another large international brand headquartered there, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Formed in 2005 by the merger of the Canadian beer manufacturer Molson and Colorado’s own Coors, it is the seventh largest brewer in the world by volume. Other large private employers that have a presence in Denver include United Airlines, Kroger Co., Map Quest, and the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

However, the largest employers in Denver are governmental and educational bodies. The US Government operates offices across the city, including the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation. There are also six military bases close by, including the Fort Carson and Buckley air bases.

As the region’s largest city and capital, Denver is the seat of the State of Colorado, which looks after all administrative court procedures as well as welfare provisions and planning. It employs nearly 30,000 people.

Denver Public Schools’ employees include more than 5,000 teachers, while the city’s colleges and universities have over 15,000 academic and administrative staff.

Fast food restaurants are another area of business that Denver has prospered in, with the large chains Quizno’s, Smashburger, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Noodles & Company, and the Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard Company all tracing their roots to the city.

Job Hunting in Denver

As with moving to any town or city, finding a job as an expat in Denver is all about thorough research. Of course, many expatriates will be transferring from existing jobs in their home countries, but others still need to find a suitable role before they can relocate to the States.

The first place most people turn to is the listings in local newspapers. The largest daily publication is the Denver Post, which has a circulation of over 400,000 and regularly prints job advertisements. There are also a number of small newspapers to check out, such as the Advocate and the Denver Business Journal.

In the past, newspapers were the prime source of listings, but today the majority of vacant situations can be found on the internet. The Denver Post has its own dedicated jobs site and national listings can be found at the American Job Centre. Other good places to look include Craigslist, Indeed.com, Denver Jobs, and the Denver Chamber of Commerce’s website.

Income Taxation in Denver

The state of Colorado levies a flat rate of 4.63% state income tax, regardless of the amount earned. This is different to other states that base their taxation percentages on differing levels of income and the marital status of the employed person.

If you obtain a job as an employee, the tax will be deducted automatically from your paycheck. Self-employed people are required to file a return themselves each year before the deadline of April 15. This can be done electronically with the Colorado Department of Revenue.

It is important to remember that this tax rate is in addition to federal taxation, which is paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Furthermore, depending on their fiscal state of residency, expatriates in Denver might be taxed differently.

The standard federal tax rates were at the time of writing as follows:

Single person:

• $1-$9,225 – 10%
• $9,226-$37,450 – 15%
• $37,451-$90,750 – 25%
• $90,751-$189,300 – 28%
• $189,301-$411,500 – 33%
• $411,501 – $413,200 – 35%
• Over $413,200 – 39.6%

Married/Joint partnership or widower:

• $1 – $18,450 – 10%
• $18,451-$74,900 – 15%
• $74,901- $151,200 – 25%
• $151,201- $230,450 – 28%
• $230,451- $411,500 – 33%
• $411,501- $464,850 – 35%
• Over $464,850 – 39.6%